Sergio Perez is clearly the number two driver at Red Bull, and has been since he arrived in 2021. That much is beyond dispute. With Verstappen considerably faster at virtually every race, Perez has been called upon to play a support role. Red Bull have evidently been happy with the manner in which he’s carried it out. That’s partly why they’ve handed the Mexican a new contract that could keep him with the Milton Keynes outfit until the end of 2026. Perez may not have served as the ‘rear gunner’ Verstappen would have liked in recent races, but he has at least contributed to a harmonious atmosph…